I grew up and learned to drive in Southern California. There you could be shot for ticking off someone sharing the road with you. In my opinion, despite the traffic, Southern Californians have Minnesotans beat for percentage of good drivers. It may be an 80-20 rule everywhere, or perhaps a situation with a few bad apples spoiling it for the rest of us.

During rush hour before and after work, most traffic flows smoothly. I believ that it is because you have experienced drivers on their regular routes. They understand the typical flow of traffic. But outside these hours, very strange things happen in Minnesota. In this article are some things I have observed.

1. The MERGE Two lanes down to one -

Most Minnesotans merge early when faced with a "Lane Ends - Merge" sign. But they start to fume and get
bitter about those who wait until the last bit of stripe to merge. Many
will not allow a late merger in by hugging the car in front of them. Some will even go so far as to block further progress by straddling both lanes. Ironically, this blocking or obstructing traffic is against the law, while late merging is not. The “take-turn” strategy often referred to as the “zipper” approach is recommended by MNDOT when traffic is congested. In this instance, drivers should use both lanes all the way to the designated merge
point and then take turns merging.

Minnesota drivers are not good at yielding the right of way in general, and
anecdotally, the state leads the nation in percentage of accidents caused by
Failure to Yield.

2. The Four Way Stop

Minnesotans get all frazzled when multiple vehicles halt simultaneously at intersections with ALL or FOUR WAY STOP signs. Don Shelby, a WCCO TV new anchor, described what happens next as, "You go." "No, you go." "NO, YOU GO!" It is some kind of freakish control war, as if to say snootily to the first driver away, "You drive only at my pleasure."

169.20 Right of Way (b) When two vehicles enter an intersection controlled by
stop signs or by blinking red traffic signals requiring drivers or vehicles
from any direction to stop before proceeding, the driver of the vehicle on the
left shall yield the right-of-way to the vehicle on the right.

3. Ashing a lit cigarette butt out the window

This is baffling to the casual observer, as it would seem that the usual vehicles from which lit cigs are thrown are
equipped with ashtrays for every passenger. We are fortunate in this state to
have an abundance of water to extinguish these randomly thrown butts. Also we have vegetation to
hide the refuse. Maybe these folks figure they are helping the environment. When you see this behavior at night, there is a spectacular flare like a sparkler. The funny
thing is that every year someone has a lit cigarette blow back in their window and ignite some back seat trash.

Minnesotans will stop at the bottom of the cloverleaf or acceleration ramp and
wait for traffic to clear. This is most commonly seen in the Metro Twin Cities on a
cloverleaf of Highway 7 at Highway 100. And rightly so, there is very little acceleration lane, or cars cross into it to exit. This is annoying, but it
is the law. It is hard to take though on larger cloverleaf ramps like 494
and 35W where there is plenty of room to get up to speed. Knowing that people yield on cloverleaf intersections, many drivers will enter the acceleration lane from the shoulder before it is striped.

169.20 Subd. 4. Vehicle entering roadway. The driver of a vehicle about to enter
or cross a roadway from any place other than a roadway shall yield the
right-of-way to all vehicles approaching on the roadway to be entered or
crossed.

5. Poking along in the inside lane (number 1) of a four or more lane
freeway - Is it for passing only?

There are many self-righteous Minnesotans who take the attitude, "I am enforcing
the speed limit - even if it kills me." This is against the law in Minnesota.
Slow traffic must keep right.

(Keep Right Laws) Subd. 10. Slow-moving vehicle. Upon all roadways any
vehicle proceeding at less than the normal speed of traffic at the time and
place and under the conditions then existing shall be driven in the right-hand
lane then available for traffic, or as close as practicable to the right-hand
curb or edge of the roadway, except when overtaking and passing another vehicle
proceeding in the same direction, or when preparing for a left turn at an
intersection or into a private road or driveway, or when a specific lane is
designated and posted for a specific type of traffic.

6. Tailgating

This is a byproduct of number 5. However, these tailgating drivers usually also
have a personal pet peeve of "cars that drive too slowly". They are usually counting on speeding to make appointments, even during poor weather. Some even take it as
a matter of pride that they can emulate Dale "the intimidator" Earnhardt. Note to all of those: Dale
is dead. He grazed Sterling Martin's car and smacked a wall in the 2001
Daytona 500.

From the Minnesota Motorcycle Manual: "When someone is following too
closely, change lanes and let them pass." Col. Anne Beers, chief of the
Minnesota State Patrol, stated in November 2003, "Drivers should
compensate for delays by leaving early, not by speeding or tailgating the car
in front of them." Both of those pieces of advice fall on deaf ears. There's a
race on and may the worst driver win....

7. Changing lanes - When I put on my blinker, that means punch it and close
the gap!

Minnesotans feel that their space is being encroached when somebody is entering
"their" highway. They become possessive and insist that because they were there
first, you should go behind. According to some, this behavior has been imported from Philadelphia where it is as common as cheese steak sandwiches.

8. Start Seeing motorcycles - hovering in your blind spot

This popular slogan "Start Seeing Motorcycles" can be found everywhere on signs
and bumper stickers. Motorcycle riders sometimes neglect their part to make
themselves visible. They think that they compensate with another slogan, "Loud Pipes save lives..." Minnesota Motorcycle Manual: "When behind a car, ride where the
driver can see you in the rearview mirror . Riding in the center portion of the
lane should put your image in the middle of the rearview mirror -- where a
driver is most likely to see you.”

9. Since I have my SUV in four wheel drive, I should be able to stop on icy
roads too?

Right? What is four wheel drive for anyway? "A word of caution to those
who drive SUVs. Just because you have four-wheel drive doesn't mean you can
stop or turn any better than a two-wheel-drive car. Four-wheel drive allows
better motive traction, but when you're off the gas (such as when you need to
turn quickly or stop) it doesn't matter; the laws of physics still apply. If
you're tempting fate by driving too fast for the road conditions and need to
turn or stop quickly, you might as well be driving a Mustang. This explains
why, during slippery driving, we see so many SUVs "off road," meaning on the
highway median or spun out on the shoulder. Two words of advice to you would-be
hotshots: Slow down."

This one is tough. We all have to wait for someone dead to get a speedy escort
to the graveyard. What is the rush? They're dead! What is even worse is that
the funeral parlor supplies a pseudo-police motorcycle to direct traffic. I
wonder how many accidents happen when impatient drivers meet forlorn mourners
at speed. However, this is actually permissible by law.

169.20 Subd. 6. Funeral procession. When any funeral procession identifies
itself by using regular lights on all cars and by keeping all cars in close
formation, the driver of every other vehicle, except an emergency vehicle,
shall yield the right-of-way

Here are some other less common crazy behaviors. Not everyone does this as most people drive their vehicles safely and defensively. But I have seen plenty of this stuff. Some of it is "Laws do not apply to me at this time" behavior.

Not allowing passing two lane highway - not on my watch pal! You get thee behind
me and do 55. I don't want to look at your taillights, even if I have to
go 120 and force you to pull back. Evolution will take care of this problem as it has done in more densely populated areas.

Taking two spots - (This 1997 Grand Cherokee is my baby! And I have to back in because I am a wannabe volunteer fireman.) This is a sign that the vehicle cost more than the driver could really afford. Really wealthy people park their Rolls between the lines.

Snowmobiles - (Mind if I do jumps next to you in the ditch and tear it up? I can
go 70 too! By the way, I'm drunk!) Every year, a number of snowmobilers die in crashes or go down through thin ice.

ATV reckless driving - (Too muddy for snowmobiles, mind if I tear up the ditch, then pretend not
to notice you as I cross the highway in front of you? By the way, that's my 2 year old son on the back so
watch out!)

Combines - Never mind this vehicle is the size of a house and takes up both
highway lanes, let me surprise you around this corner

Cruising for the front parking space and stalking you as you get ready to
leave. You know, it takes a little while to get groceries in the car. Park
farther away and go in, instead of bitching at me to hurry up.

Cell phone usage and other distracted driving. It sure is funny to watch someone have an animated conversation with themselves...

In Minnesota, those traveling by foot or on wheels (Pedestrians, bicyclists, roller skaters/ roller bladers ) have the right of way if they are in a designated crosswalk, said Sgt. Don Marose of the Minnesota State Patrol. It doesn't matter if it's a street or a road.

Those crossing must use due care, of course, and not walk in front of a vehicle, he said. On the other hand, cars don't have to stop for people who haven't yet entered the crossing area.

However, if the crosswalk is marked with stop or yield signs -- and many of them are on trails -- the pedestrian, blader or biker must obey the sign.

Not all trails have designated crosswalks, especially those that cross driveways, alleys or gravel roads.

This was a discussion on local talk radio in Minnesota the other day. When the light turns green, people get frantic if traffic does not start moving immediately. So they honk at the cars in front of them if they do not start within 1 millesecond of a semaphore change.

Personally, I can attest that this happens to people who drive small cars. The larger the car, the less likely you are to be honked at. Pickup trucks and vans tend to start slower, but drivers are less likely to honk at them.

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